Jury convicts man in 2015 rape case
A jury convicted Chattanooga’s James Leon Works Jr. of multiple sex and assault crimes last week in Catoosa County Superior Court after deciding he held a woman in a Fort Oglethorpe house and raped her repeatedly in 2015.
Works, who has had several arrests and runins with police over the years, was convicted Tuesday, March 27, of three counts of rape, three counts of aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated sodomy, four counts of possession of a firearm or knife in commission of a crime, and one count of false imprisonment.
The jury returned not-guilty verdicts on other counts of aggravated sodomy, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm while committing a crime, and kidnapping, according to court documents.
Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit assistant district attorneys Clay Fuller and Chris Arnt prosecuted the case while lead public defender David Dunn represented Works.
The accuser in the case claimed Works beat, threatened, and raped her over a three-day period in December 2015 while keeping her imprisoned at his uncle’s Fort Oglethorpe home.
The woman made similar claims against Works in 2014, and says Works convinced her to come back to him a year later before the actions in question.
The state called multiple women to the stand who’d been involved with Works over the years, including the mother of his children.
Every year, the Leadership Team at Graysville Elementary School commits to a project to help their community.
This year, the team decided it wanted to help North Georgia Animal Alliance (NGAA) with its rescue work by donating supplies to contribute to the comfort of animals awaiting permanent homes.
“It was wonderful,” says NGAA secretary Kris Richardson. “Susan Blair, a counselor at the school, called and asked how they could help. They gave pet food, dog and cat beds, towels, blankets, toys and other things to help the animals.”
Richardson says the teachers at Graysville often help NGAA with donations. “We’re so grateful for everything they do.”
Leadership Team members include Chance Pritchard, Luke Garverick, Jacob Duarte, Brooke Baldwin, Kinsley Forscutt, Maggie Lusk, Brayden Roach, Pierce Pennington, Maryclaire Rast and Allie Massengale.
One woman testified Works raped her in a hotel, and another claimed he threatened to kill her. Each of the women described Works as abusive and manipulative.
Dunn tried to discredit the accuser, but the jury ultimately deemed Works guilty of 13 of his 22 charges.
Works had already been in Catoosa County jail since October 2017, and was returned there after the verdict to await his sentencing trial that will take place Wednesday, April 4, at 1 p.m.